Knockdown vehicle-shaft.



' PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. E. C. FERRIS & G. S. TEBBETTS.

' .KNOGKDOWN VEHICLE SHAFT.

APPLIUATION FILED .TUNE 25, 1906.

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W j @ci gmewlg, .gw 11. by Q4/Www# cons ructed that after being completed at vpair of shafts in which the cross-bar is per- 'UNITED srnrnsignnr ormone.

FREDERICK C. EERRIS AND GEORGE TEBBETTS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,l ASSIGNORS TO L. B. TEBBETTS & SONS CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

KNOCKQOWN VEHICLE-SHAFT.

N o. 842,309. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an'. 29,1907.

Application filed June 25,1906. 4Serial No. 323,323.

.To all whom tm/ay concern:

Be -it known that'y we,FREDERIGK C. FER- dern'eath face of the cross-bar by bolts 6, and Ris and GEORGE S, TEBBETTS, citizens of the l connected to each shaft is a substantially United States, resi-ding at St.A Louis, Msl V-shaped metal device 7, havingits shank 8 souri, have invented a certain new and useful 1 tapered andfitting snugly between the lugs Improvement in Knockdown Vehicle Shafts 5 on the bars 4, which are connected to the or Thills, of which thefollowing is afull, clear, l cross-bar. A heel-brace iron 9 is connected and exact description, such as will enable tothe underneath face of each shaft, andthe V-shaped device 7 is connected to the underothers skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the saine, reference neath face of the shaft outside of thevheelbrace iron by bolts l0, which pass clear being had tothe accompanymgdrawings, v forming part of .this specification, in whichthrough -the shaft and the heelebrace iron.

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion For connecting the V-s'haped devices 7 of each shaft to the cross-bar removable bolts of a pair of vehicle shafts or thills embodying the features of our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 2 2- of Fig. l, "`l?ll`ig. 3 shows a modiedform of device connecting the cross-b ar to the shafts.

's invention relates to vehicle shafts or and the object of our invention is to y :le a pair of vehicle-shafts which arev so the cross-bar andthrough plates l2, that are permanently connected to the upper face of each shaft by the same bolts 1.() which connect the V-shaped device 7 to the shaft. This manner of removably connecting the cross-barto the shafts produces a pair of shafts which are stronger and' more rigid than ones in vwhich the cross-bar and shafts are permanently connected together, and by simply removing the bolts llthe cross-bar can be Withdrawn from the shafts, so. that they can be shipped in knockdown f orm.

In addition to obtaining a low freight classification it is possible to pack the shaftsl much better and vmore economically, and when one shaft of a pair gets broken it can be the factory-namely, painted and varnished-they can be shipped in knockdown form, thereby enabling the manufacturer to obtain a much lower freight classification than if the shafts were shippedassembled. When the shafts arrive at their destination, they can be assembled and fastened together by inserting a few bolts, and when assembled they are stronger and more rigid. than a manently connected tothe two shafts.

To this end we have devised a pair of vehicle-shafts in which the cross-bar is removably connected to the shafts in a novel manner, which enables 'said members to be taken apart and put together without marrk ing the paint or varnish.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which represent the preferred form of our inl vention, 1 designates the cross-bar, which is neath face of the cross-bar and is connected mortised into the shafts 2. As shown in thereto by two bolts, the bar 4, having the Fig. 2, the tongues 3 on the opposite ends of il lugs 5, being dispensed with in this form. the cross-bar do not extend entirely through i the shafts to the outer side faces thereof in l we claim as new, the manner in' which vehicle-shafts are usuters Patent, isally constructed, so that when the shafts are 1. A pair of vehicle-shafts comprising two assembled the paint and varnish on the outer shafts and a removable cross-bar provided faces of the shaftswill not be marred, as with tongueswhich enter openings in said would be apt to occur if the .tongues extended shafts and terminate short of the, outer side faces of said shaft-s, members permanently clear through the shafts. Metal bars 4, pro- Il vided with lugs or flanges 5, having their in-` connected to the shafts, cooperating memtrouble. `Furthermore, shafts constructed in this manner occupy much less space in shipping and in custo-mers warehouses and can also be better prote'ctedfrom damage in shipping and in storage.

In Fig. 3 we have shown a modified form the shafts, said device being provided with a and desire to secure by Letner faces inclined, are connectedto the unll are employed, which bolts extend through,

replaced by a perfect one with very little vHaving thus described our invention, what of device 7 for connecting ythe cross-harto long shank 8. which liesl against the undershafts and a removable cross-bar, members l connected to the underneath lface of the cross-bar, said members being provided with shoulders having inclined faces, devices permanently connected to the shafts and provided with tapered Shanks which' engage the shoulders on the members connected to the cross-bar, and removable bolts `extending through the cross-bar and the shanks of said devices substantially as described.

. 3. A pair of vehicle-shafts comprising two 'shafts and a removable cross-bar, devices connected to the upper and lower faces of each shaft and having laterally-extending portions which engage the upper and lower 1 faces of the cross-bar7 members connected to the cross-bar and provided with shoulders l whichcoperate with the laterally-extending portions of one of said pair of devices, and I removable bolts extending through the cross-bar and through said laJQerally-extende l ing portions; substantiallT described.

4. A pair of vehicle-shafts consisting of i two shafts and a removable cross-bar, heel- 1 brace irons, connected to the underdeath I' faces of said shafts, devices connected to the l shafts beneath said irons and provided with f shanks, members connected to the cross-bar i and provided with shoulders which coperl ate with said shanks, and removable bolts extending through the cross-bar and through l said Shanks; substantially as described. I In testimony whereof we hereunto aHiX our signatures, in the presence of' two witg nesses7 this 20th day of June, 1906. g FREDERICK C. FERRIS. l GEORGE S. 'FEBBET'IS Witnesses l WELLS L. CHURCH, I GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

